Empathic Comfort
by Natsuuro
Summary: Fred has trouble sleeping on her return from Pylea and she find help in milk and a certain green Host. Genfic


**Natsuuro: **Anyone else here in love with that green guy? He's so cute and wonderful.

Lorne, Fred, Angel, and everyone else in Angel is © to the creators of Angel

May It Be © the writer (Enya, I believe)

* * *

She was scared. Things were new. A large.... Hotel... Was it? At least, that's what Angel had said. He said that she would be safe here. There weren't any villagers hunting her down, nor were there any beasts calling her cow, or any monsters... He had stopped there to look at one of _them_. Winnifred felt herself shiver when she looked at him. He was one of _them_. But he was different, calm. He spoke with a gentle voice and called the others friend when all the other villagers called them cows. He was kind, or so it seemed. There were no collars here. No people screaming at you to carry a heavy load of milk. Or chop off your head, as the Pyleans seemed to want to have done.

But this man.... Lorne... was it? He had sung like an angel and driven the men away at the seemingly cost of his life. He had been beheaded and his body given to his mother, whom she had heard loathed him.

But she'd liked his voice. She didn't remember the song. She didn't know what it was called or who it was by, but the man had risked his neck, going against all of the villagers... To save her and Angel.

She tossed and turned in the bed. She had thought it would have been simple. The bed was so much better than her skins in the cave and she was tired, but she couldn't get her mind to rest. She then sat up and sighed heavily, looking around.

"Maybe I can go get some milk..." she thought as she rolled out of bed, slipping into slippers and going down the stairs. As she got halfway down, she began to hum something she'd learned way back. Much before Pylea. She remembered someone singing it to her.

"You need something Pumpkin?" she shrieked and the voice turned into a shattering of glass. She wrenched herself backwards and tripped over the stairs. She lay on the floor, whimpering and shivering, curling into a fetal position and sobbing lightly. "Oh, sugar! I didn't mean to rattle your noggin so much. You okay?"

Two hands curled gently on her shoulders and she she looked up through tearful eyes at green skin and horns. She was suddenly reminded of her old masters and her hand flew out. She contacted with something and she felt her palm rip open just below her skin. She knew it wasn't too bad, and she hoped the person hurt worse. She had made contact with a jaw, she decided. It had been solid and angular. And there had been a grunt and the hands had let go. She jumped up and covered her head. Then she remembered where she was.

She turned around to see Lorne laying on the ground, holding his jaw. She looked at her bleeding hand and looked at him again.

"L-Lorne...?" she whispered.

"Yeah Peach pie, I didn't mean to startle you. If I'da known... Oh, honey! Your hand. Must have been my horn. I'll get you the med kit."

He wasn't gone long and it took his gentle hands and a few gauze to stop all the blood. The cut hadn't actually been too severe. Just below the surface.

"I'm... I'm sorry. I thought I was in Pylea again..."

"No problem, darling. But you hit harder than I thought you would." he rubbed his chin. "What did you come down here for?"

"Milk... Or... Something to drink and help get me to bed. I guess I'm just not settled into this place yet. I keep expecting something to come and get me or I feel like i'm in the square and I'm about to get beheaded and I'm so scared that all of this is a dream and when I wake up I'll be just getting ready to die! Or what if I am dead already and this is hell where I'm going to be wondering constantly about... Everything and I won't be able to function and this is just a little bit of hell and this is only the beginning and... and...."

"I'll get you some milk, princess," Lorne stood and returned after a moment with the milk in hand. She drank it all in a few gulps and Lorne smiled.

"Nothing like milk to get you sleepy." he said. "You should head to bed soon."

"I can't sleep." Lorne was quiet as he leaned forward. He rested his elbows on his knees and rubbed the back of his neck. She could tell he was uncomfortable.

"You're really worried about it, aren't you? Pylea... Being taken back... Not even being here at all... You're also afraid of Angel a little...." he then sighed heavily. "And me..."

"That's.... That's not true.... You saved me an'..." She sighed.

"I read you." she bit her lower lip. "I didn't see much before I decided to say something, but... There was fear.... Of Pylea, of Angel's demonic side. There was anger towards me and Pylea... Anxiety, uncertainty..."

"What do you mean 'Read'?"

"I'm an empathic demon. Whether or not I try, I read people. I look at their auras and I can get a look into their heads... Their souls"  
"All the time?" she inched away.

"Somewhat, but when a person sings, they bear their souls and that's when I can get a good look at a person's integrity or their life. I don't see much usually, just flashes, feelings..."

"Oh...." She looked at him and shifted uncomfortably. "Why don't you like Pylea?"  
"I don't... not like it..." he paused. "I hate it."  
"But... it's where you came from," Fred said as she looked at her empty cup.

"Yes, but... It's a hell-hole, sugarfluff. There's no music... They treat humans like.. well, cows... And they all are about battling foes and winning the woman..." he sighed heavily. "I never got into all of that. I was shunned by my family because I liked to sing rather than learn ancient traditions."

"Oh...." She bit her lower lip.

"Well, now that you've had a drink, you ready to go to bed?" She smiled. He seemed taken aback. "Ah, to what to I owe this honor, Mon' Cherri?"

"You're a lot better than I thought," she said, smiled. He pinched her cheek

"Oh, well isn't that smile just a twinkle in my eye!" she giggled. "Ahh! And a laugh! How fortunate of me, princess!"

He led her back to her room, keeping her smiling and giggling all the way. They got to her room and she was smiling as she walked in. She was halfway in and Lorne was about to close the door when she stopped him.

"Can you... Uhm.... Can you sing me a song...? Just until I sleep." He smiled lightly.

"Of course, sunshine," he pulled up a chair as she scampered into bed like a child. He leaned back and pondered what to sing.

"_May it be an evening star  
Shines down upon you_

_  
May it be when darkness falls  
Your heart will be true_

_  
You walk a lonely road  
Oh! How far you are from home..."_

Lorne's voice carried over the now-sleepy Fred, who smiled at him, a silent encouragement to keep singing. And who was Lorne to argue. After all... he liked her smile. And the song was nice.

"_Mornie utúlië_ _Believe and you will find your way_ _Mornie alantië_ _A promise lives within you now"_ Lorne was aware of the dark aura just outside the door, silent and waiting. Angel's aura during the night was never calm or happy, but it wasn't as tense as normal. He seemed to just be listening for now. The Host smiled to himself and Fred as he continued. Even in the expanses of his thoughts, he paused only for a brief breath. "_May it be shadows call  
Will fly away_

May it be your journey on  
To light the day

_When the night is overcome  
You may rise to find the sun"_ The aura left. Angel went back to his room to sleep. It was only Fred's aura, now. A calming blue which seemed to get lighter as he sang. At least, despite what his people did to her, she still found this small part of him just fine. "_Mornie utúlië  
Believe and you will find your way_

__

Mornie alantië  
A promise lives within you now

_A promise lives within you now..."_ Fred was deep asleep, a contented look on her face. Her aura was a happy, calming light blue. He stood as slowly and quietly as he could and leaned down to kiss her temple just lightly. She made a small sound and settled. He then left the room, walking down the hall and into his own room as quietly as he could.

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**A/N** Thanks for reading! I really had fun writing it. This is supposed to be Gen, but squint if you like Lorne and Fred. I personally Looooove Fred and Gunn.

On a more serious note, this is somewhat of a song-fic dedicated to Andy Hallet, the man who so easily brought Lorne to life. I chose May It Be because of the lyrics in it.  
**R.I.P Andy Hallet**


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